


Bucky Babysits

by VelvetSky



Series: Through the Years [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Bucky Babysits, Fluffy, Gen, Minor Darcy Lewis/Steve Rogers, Steve & Darcy's Baby
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-26
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-03-09 15:35:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13484523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VelvetSky/pseuds/VelvetSky
Summary: Steve and Darcy are away, Sam gets called out for a mission, so Bucky has to figure out how to handle a seven month old baby for a couple days.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Unbetaed. 
> 
> This story takes place between chapters 7 & 8 of Happy Birthdays.

“Look, I wouldn’t do this, if I didn’t have to go out on a call.” Sam had called Bucky over to Steve and Darcy’s place to hand off babysitting duty, since he had to take an Avengers call.

“Couldn’t I take the call, and you stay with Sarah?” Bucky’s face read full panic. He loved Sarah to death, but he was also terrified of touching her and breaking that tiny little girl. He had settled into a fairly stable life, but he had not yet overcome all his fears.

“Sorry, they want the wings.” Sarah was sitting in her playpen babbling away with some toys while Sam tried to get Bucky to calm down.

“I could use the wings, probably.”

“The hell you can. Look, she’s a small human, that’s all.” Sam glanced over and pointed his hand toward Sarah.

“Yeah, a small, easy to break human. I don’t want to break her. I mean, come on, man.” Bucky raked his real hand through his hair.

“Sorry, dude, you gotta get over this shit sometime. It’ll only be a couple days. You might be a jackass, but I know you won’t let anything happen to that baby, okay.” They gave each other a hard time, well, almost all the time, but Sam knew Bucky would take good care of Steve’s daughter.

“But, what do I feed her? What if I drop her?”

“You won’t drop her. There’s bottles of breast milk in the fridge, if those run down, cause this thing takes more than a day, then there’s more in the freezer. Plus, there is baby food. There’s a whole list on the counter for about how much and what she likes for both bottle feeding and food. All the baby food in the cabinet are things she’s eaten before, so you don’t have to worry about introducing new foods. If you really have a question, call or text me, or Steve, or Darcy.” Sam had already grabbed his go bag, which he’d had sitting at Steve and Darcy’s since he’d been there the last couple nights watching Sarah.

“What about when and how do I put her to bed? What about changing her?”

“You’ve seen the changing table, you’ve seen Steve do it, I’ve watched. It’s not that complicated, you just make sure she’s cleaned off, and put a new diaper on her, and don’t let her roll off the table. There’s info about the bedtime schedule on the counter too. I’ve just been following it. You can do this, and I need to leave. Quinjet is up in ten. You got this.” Sam slapped Bucky on the shoulder and was out the door.

When the door closed, Bucky looked over at Sarah, who appeared to have been watching the last of their exchange. “Hey, Sarah. I guess it’s you and me.” He wandered over to her playpen and sat down on the floor beside it.

Sarah smiled and giggled, and scooted over to the side and patted the see-thru mesh side in front of Bucky. Bucky smiled and chuckled. He was still nervous, he’d barely even touched her, at all, now he was going to have to take care of her, feed her, change her, get her to sleep, make sure she was still in one piece when Sam, or Steve and Darcy came back, whichever was first. The little girl had started crawling around Christmas, which had meant she began being able to crawl over to him, but when she did, he usually just waved at her, smiled, said hello. On the occasions she had started sitting and patting her hand on his knee, he’d carefully used his right index finger to kind of pet the back of her little hand a couple times. Steve and Darcy had tried to get him to sit down and let them put her in his arms, but he was afraid of that.

Even though Bucky had been free of Hydra for years, and had never had an issue with his metal arm doing anything he didn’t intend it to do, he couldn’t stop that little nagging voice in his mind that said he was still a potential danger to such a tiny, sweet, little innocent being, as Sarah. The more mobile she got the harder to avoid she was. But he’d been avoiding. That had come to a stop. He couldn’t avoid her. Bucky lifted his hand up, the real one, and placed it palm out on the mesh by her hand. Sarah giggled again and made squeaky babble sounds as she smacked her little hand on Bucky’s through the mesh.

“You are about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. I hope I can figure this thing out so you don’t end up mad at me.” While he had been afraid to touch or interact too closely with Sarah in her first seven months, he did love how much she smiled at him, and he didn’t want to make her upset with him if he didn’t keep her happy. He wiggled his finger through the mesh at her hand and she tried to grab it, still giggling while she did.

Sarah started trying to reach, both hands, at Bucky, she had managed to grip his finger with one hand while the other pressed at the mesh side trying to reach through to him while making a sound that sounded like, ‘uh, uh, uh’. Sarah started shifting, like she was trying to push the side of the playpen, a determined look that somehow looked familiar to Bucky. “Okay, tiny Steve, let’s not try to push over the thing you’re in.”

She kept pushing and trying to crawl forward, and Bucky was slightly nervous that she might be able to turn the thing over, given enough time. She sure was stubborn like her father, though she had the dark hair and slight grey in her eyes, like her mother. Not that Bucky hadn’t seen Darcy be plenty stubborn, but that look on Sarah’s face, Bucky remembered that look, that was the look that used to mean Bucky had to go punch a guy, cause otherwise, Steve was going to try doing it and get himself flattened in an alley by a guy twice his size. Finally he stood up and leaned over, Sarah reached up for him as soon as he did, and he lifted her out of the playpen. The delighted squeal she made had Bucky chuckling as he took two steps back to sit down on the couch with her, it seemed safer to sit and hold her. His metal arm supported her back, though she leaned into his body too, her hands grabbing at the buttons on his Henley. His chuckle was perhaps nervous, but it was true as well. Sarah looked up from his buttons to Bucky’s face, and then he had a tiny hand grabbing his chin. Before he thought too hard about it, his index finger gently tapped her little nose, and she laughed.

Her laugh made him smile, brighter than he had in a while, a long while, which only lit her little face up more as she reached for his face with both hands, his buttons no longer of interest. Sarah made a string of little babble sounds, her hands patting Bucky’s cheeks, before her fingers attempted to grasp the little stubbly hairs on his face. Sarah tugged on him, pressing her feet down into his legs. “Are you trying to stand up? You aren’t big enough for that yet, are you?”

She kept pushing her feet into him, and her hands had grasped the collar of his shirt, tugging. Bucky helped her stand, holding onto her with both hands, and she grinned. Her hands reached for his face again. He chuckled and she giggled. Feeling her tiny hands smack his cheeks, he couldn’t stop laughing, which seemed to make her more excited. Sarah bounced in his hands for a while, and he simply laughed, and smiled, and watched her, holding her carefully to make sure she was stable. Then she leaned forward, her head leading, Bucky wasn’t sure what she was doing, but he only held her enough to make sure she didn’t go too far. She didn’t go far, she only went as far as his shoulder, resting her head there, her whole tiny body leaning into his chest, her hands on his shoulders. Whatever fears Bucky had, and his whole heart just melted in that moment. He knew then he’d do anything that baby girl wanted to make sure she was happy and safe. At the moment, that seemed to be cuddling. It was afternoon and she’d been up all morning, so it probably was time for her nap anyway, and after getting so excited, Sarah quickly fell asleep on Bucky’s shoulder, and he just sat back with a content smile. Maybe he could have moved and done other things, maybe he could have put her down to sleep, but he didn’t want to. After being so afraid to touch or hold her, having her monkey all over him and fall asleep was the best thing he’d felt, maybe ever, and he was happy to just sit and soak in the feeling.


	2. Chapter 2

Late that evening, after Sarah napped and then played some more, there was dinner, as well as a couple diaper changes which went rather smoothly, Bucky sat back, feet up, with her and turned on the television to relax a while, and let her wind down and get sleepy. He wasn't sure if he should be doing something else, the instructions didn't say, but she seemed content to just lay back. After she woke up earlier she'd had another round of being very grabby at him, trying to climb all over him, but after dinner she seemed happy to just hang on him. Though he did have to clean up a bit while holding her, because she fussed when he tried to leave her alone to play in her play pen. Sarah had quite thoroughly, in just one day, wrapped Bucky around her tiny baby finger.

His phone buzzed though, so he reached to check it. Sarah glanced up to see what he was doing. Bucky smiled, "It's your Dad. He's checking up on us."

Bucky accepted the video chat call, and saw Steve sitting on a couch. Initially Bucky's shot just showed his face. "Hey Buck, Sam told me he had to go. How's it going? How's Sarah? Did you manage to feed and change her?"

Sarah was kicking her feet and smiling nestled to the left side of Bucky's chest, near to the back cushions of the couch. Her little head was just below where the camera was showing as Bucky smiled, "yeah, I figured it out. Sarah is good. We're just hanging out, I assume she'll get sleepy soon."

Steve smiled and chuckled, "probably. She's fairly good about going to bed, but she is sometimes awake until ten or so, but then usually she'll sleep good and sound through to morning."

"Really! Until ten! You stay up until ten!" Bucky grinned, he looked down and wiggled his finger at Sarah's belly, which made her giggle and squeal. The camera moved a little as well, enough to sort of let Steve see that Sarah was laying there with Bucky. "We could probably put a movie or something in then."

Steve started grinning when he realized that Sarah was actually laying with Bucky. "I'm glad you finally are comfortable with Sarah. She really loves you. You'll do great."

Bucky smiled a little more, knowing Steve had that kind of confidence in him. "Thanks, Steve. I was pretty nervous when Sam left. She's stronger than she looks, and she's adorable."

Steve chuckled, "That she is. Maybe, can you zoom out so we can see her better? The picture is a little wiggly. Darcy and I kind of miss her little face." Bucky's hand kept wobbling and actually seeing either of them well was a little here and there.

"Sorry, she keeps grabbing at the phone and kicking my arm, so I keep having to move it." Bucky was chuckling with Steve as he zoomed out, and also stretched his arm all the way out, so Sarah couldn't reach it, and it gave a much better picture."It is a pretty cute little face. How is she so soft, anyway?"

"I don't know, baby skin." Steve chuckled as Bucky pet her cheek a couple times with his finger. It was amazing how he could feel the stress leave his body when he cuddled Sarah. "It's pretty amazing though, isn't it?"

Darcy dropped into the picture next to Steve and grinned at the phone. "Aw, Bucky! See, you spent all that time being worried, look how much she loves cuddling with you!"

Bucky chuckled. He did wish he hadn't been so worried, that he'd missed out on holding Sarah for the first seven months of her life. But, he was making up for it now. She seemed to just want to snuggle him, and he was very happy to let her. As it turned out, the most soothing thing ever, was to cuddle the cutest baby he'd ever seen. He just sat back for a minute, letting Steve and Darcy interact with Sarah over the phone.

"Hey, Sarah! Are you being good for Uncle Bucky? Mama misses you!" Darcy's face was lit up talking to her daughter, while Sarah giggled and wiggled one hand at the image of her mother on the phone screen.

"Hi Sarah, sweetie. Dada loves you." When Steve spoke to her, Sarah smiled and made a series of little babbly sounds that everyone smiled at. "I know you'll be good to your Bucky."

Sarah squeaked and giggled and reached up to grab at Bucky's face again. Bucky laughed as she squeezed his chin. "She's kind of crazy strong, isn't she?"

"Yeah, Bruce thinks she got a little kick from the serum. How strong she'll be, we aren't sure, but she might be a little more than the average baby." Darcy laughed and poked Steve in his side. He just smiled and kissed her temple.

"Sam hopes he'll be back late tomorrow, but if not, Darcy and I will be back as planned, in two days. So I know you can handle it." Steve wasn't worried at all now. He'd only worried before that Bucky would let his anxiety get to him, but he'd never doubted that if Bucky tried, that he'd be great with Sarah.

"Thanks, we'll see you guys then. Wave to Mama and Dada." Bucky waved and Sarah squealed and smacked his face with great excitement. Steve and Darcy waved and said 'night' to Sarah. Darcy also blew kisses, before the call ended and Bucky reached to set his phone down again.

He looked at Sarah, who was poking his chin with her fingers. When he put his finger to her palm, she curled her hand around it and let him lean to kiss her fingers. Baby skin really was a whole new level of soft that he'd never felt. He kind of imagined the only things that might be as soft would be tiny, adorable, fluffy animals, which he had also been afraid of touching. Maybe he'd have to reconsider that as well. If he could handle Sarah, maybe he could safely get a cat or something.


	3. Chapter 3

Bucky got a message the next morning, Sam’s mission was running long, complications. It looked like it would be just him and Sarah for another night, but that no longer made Bucky anxious. He was actually looking forward to it. All day to sit around, and play, and cuddle, and make up for all that time he was too afraid to really go near Sarah. Sarah had stayed up until ten or so the night before, finally falling asleep while sitting with him. When she did, he’d managed to put her into her crib to sleep. He went to bed a little later and woke before she did. She was up around seven, about the time Bucky got Sam’s message. After changing her diaper and feeding her, Bucky figured maybe he should put her into some other clothes, especially since she’d gotten a little breakfast on her pajamas.

“What do you want to wear?” He opened a couple of her drawers, holding Sarah. The little girl looked when he pointed at her drawer full of shirts and pants, and then at the one of little dresses.

Sarah bounced in his arms, then leaned in and sort of sucked on Bucky’s cheek. He laughed, she hadn’t done that before. Her little arms went snug around his neck.

“Is that a kiss?” He was still chuckling as she seemed to pull her head back a moment then put open mouth back on his cheek and there was sucking and some tongue. It was very slobbery, but she was so damn cute, he didn’t care. The fact that it even sort of felt like the sweetest little baby in the world thought he was worth kissing, he didn’t care if she drooled all over his face in the process.

She was giggling between sloppy kisses to his cheek, and then she got his nose too. Bucky ran his flesh hand over her little head and nuzzled her little cheek, which made her giggle more.

“Okay, Miss Kissy, let’s find you some clean clothes.” When he pointed at a pair of pants that were multi colored, pink, blue, purple, and white, Sarah made an ‘ah ah ah’ sound. Bucky picked them up. “These?”

Sarah said 'ah ah ah’ again and bounced in his arms. “Alright then. Maybe just a white shirt?”

Bucky picked up a tiny little white tee shirt as well and Sarah’s little mouth was back to slobbering kisses on his cheek, not even his stubble seemed to stop her. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d laughed so much in such a short span of time. Sarah was just magic as far as he was concerned. Laying her down on the changing table, he got her out of her pajamas and into the little shirt and pants. He found a pair of purple socks to put on her also. “Maybe a sweater? I don’t want you to be cold.”

The compound was kept fairly comfortable, and Darcy usually kept her and Steve’s apartment there fairly warm, Bucky hadn’t touched the thermostat settings. If he got warm, he simply took off his over shirt or something. It was what Steve did too. But Bucky still worried that Sarah would get cold. It was February, there was a bit of snow outside, so he pulled a cute purple hooded sweater thing he’d seen her in a couple times before, out of the closet, and got her little arms into it. It was open in front so he figured she also wouldn’t get too warm. The sweater was extra cute because it had little ear shapes on the hood. There were a couple buttons, but he left them open, for now.

Bucky did put her little hood up though, and just stared at her for a minute. Smiling softly at her as she smiled at him. It made him feel so warm inside, it was amazing, like nothing else. He didn’t think he’d ever have someone special, and certainly not kids of his own, but that was okay, he felt like this was all he really needed. Even with getting comfortable with her, Bucky still hadn’t quite fully cuddled Sarah yet. She had sat on him and climbed on him, but he usually only held her up, helped support her. But didn’t hug or kiss her simply because he wanted to, other than the little kiss to her hand last night. When he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, she made a little sigh and leaned her head into him. Bucky then sighed, and willed himself not to cry. He felt warmth behind his eyes, warmth that matched the warmth in his heart. For a moment he wondered if this was anything like what Steve had talked about feeling when Sarah was born and he first held her. “I love you so much, Sarah.”

Sarah sighed again, her whole little body just leaned into his chest and shoulder, then she made a little, contented, cooing sound. Bucky liked to think it was her way of saying she loved him too. He felt loved in that moment. For a minute or so, he just stood there, holding her, feeling her soft breath on his neck, and her tiny fingers tangled into the fabric of his shirt. When he shifted a little, Sarah whined slightly. “I’m not going anywhere, Sweetie.”

He did press the button on the music player, it had all kinds of tunes, and he pulled up some soft jazzy tunes and started to sway. “I haven’t danced in a while, but at least I don’t have to worry about stepping on your toes.”

When he started swaying, Sarah made a kind of humming cooing sound, and her left hand released the collar of his shirt in favor of softly rubbing at one side his neck, as he felt her face nuzzle into the other side. She was so soft. Bucky didn’t know how else to say she smelled other than she really did have that sweet baby smell, it was something he had only vaguely recalled from his childhood. His younger sisters had that smell when they were babies. His breathing got very calm and steady, and hers seemed to do the same. Bucky wasn’t trying to make her sleep, but he wasn’t sure if she might from how relaxed she seemed. He shifted his head to see, but was quickly met with her hands grabbing him firmly. Her right hand clutched his metal shoulder, and the fingers on her left hand actually pressed into his neck. It possibly wasn’t the most comfortable thing, but Bucky didn’t flinch. He did chuckle softly though, “okay, you’re still awake, just checking. We can keep dancing if you like.”

Her soft sigh, and the relaxing of her fingers was his answer. “We can dance all you want, Sarah. Uncle Bucky can dance all night.” Her little hand softly stroked his neck.

Bucky swayed with her through several tunes. He would keep dancing, if that was all she wanted to do, but he thought he’d see if Sarah wanted to do anything else. “Want to go play in the living room?”

Sarah lifted her head to look at him and smiled. “Is that a yes, Sweetie?” She pat her hand on Bucky’s neck.

“Okay, let’s do that.” Bucky turned off the music and carried her into the living room where her playpen and lots of toys were. Though as they neared the playpen, Sarah’s fingers clung to Bucky’s shirt. “I’m not going to put you in the play pen. We can turn on the TV and play on the floor together.”

He even nudged the play pen a little farther to the side of the room so it was out of the way and they had more floor space to sit and play. Bucky collected up a few stuffed animals and other toys and sat down with Sarah. Bucky had put her down next to him, near his knee, but she quickly crawled into his lap. “Oh, Sarah, you are just the sweetest thing. You’re going to make me not want to go home when your parents get back.”

Bucky leaned down a little and gave her a gentle squeeze with both arms. Despite how little she was, he managed it, and she pressed her hands into his forearms, like she didn’t want him to let go. Not that he wouldn’t be over here pretty much daily, because he always was, but right now, all he wanted to do was snuggle that baby. She made him feel loved, and somehow almost worthy of that love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had intended this as three parts, but it's probably going to be like 4 or 5. Cause Bucky with baby Sarah is too damn cute.


	4. Chapter 4

It was getting late, Steve had called again a bit earlier to check in and Bucky held up the phone so Sarah could babble at her parents. Bucky was honestly amazed that at just seven months Sarah seemed so tuned into everything. Much like the night before, Bucky was reclined on the couch, and Sarah was nestled against his chest, upper arm, and the back of the couch. He and the couch made a nice little nook that she could sit and wiggle and such, but stayed put. In a way, he wasn’t sure what he was going to do in a day when he would go back to his room and not have a little cuddle bug to snuggle. He knew he could come over daily and hang out, he did that already, but it wouldn’t be the same as this, as lounging on the couch at night, watching TV or a movie and snuggling. They had played quite a bit earlier, before Sarah fell asleep against his shoulder and chest. He’d just sat down and let her sleep for a while. And after dinner, she didn’t want to nap, but she didn’t want to play again just yet, she’d just wanted to monkey up on him and snuggle. Bucky had found himself sniffing her little head far more than he thought seemed normal. When he mentioned it though, both Steve and Darcy said they snuck little sniffs of her baby head all the time. It was that soft, sweet baby smell.

It was nearing 11pm when it seemed like Sarah was finally asleep. Like last night, Bucky carried her to her room and laid her down in her crib to sleep. There was a spare bedroom/office besides Steve and Darcy’s, which Bucky had occasionally slept in even before the baby. Before the baby Darcy had used the other bedroom for crafts and her own sort of office space. Now she and Steve shared the office. He wasn’t sure what would happen if they had another baby. There were larger suites in the compound, but he wasn’t sure if there would be smaller rooms next door for him. Bucky did like that he lived just next door to Steve. Sam too, lived just across the hall.

Bucky didn’t get three steps back from the crib though, when Sarah started crying. “Oh, Sarah, it’s okay. It’s bedtime.” He reached his hand in to try to soothe her, brushing his fingers over her head and rubbing her tummy. She calmed at the touch, but didn’t appear to go back to sleep. Her eyes were open, gazing up at him, and her little hands grasped at his arm. When he even attempted to pull his hand away, she started fussing.

“Sweetheart, you need to sleep. I know you’re tired because you were asleep.” But Sarah grabbed at his hand when Bucky tried to move it away. So, he scooped her up again, and she snuggled into his chest. He rocked softly with her, hoping to get her to drift back to sleep. Swaying for twenty minutes, holding her close. She hummed for a little bit, before going quiet, and he could feel the rhythm of her breath. Perhaps normal folks wouldn’t have felt that, but he could.

He gave it a few extra minutes before he gingerly laid her down. She fussed when he reached the hallway. Bucky didn’t react, only stilled all his movement, hoping silence would cease her stirring. There was a moment of silence before Sarah whimpered, Bucky’s hand was on his heart, but he kept still, maybe she just needed a moment. He’d seen Steve and Darcy do this with her at night. She would fuss for cuddles, but after a few moments would settle and fall asleep. Tonight, she cried, rather than fall asleep. He tried to give her a moment, but he caved when her cries paused, only to make a gasping whimper sound, before resuming crying. “Oh, Sweetie.”

As soon as he lifted her up and held her close, Sarah’s cries subsided, and her little fingers clutched at his shirt. “Okay, we’ll go sit on the couch again for a while. But don’t tell your parents, I caved so easy, okay?”

Bucky could feel her little body relax when he sat down with her. She definitely had him wrapped around her little finger. She couldn’t even speak yet, and in under five minutes she had him giving her what she wanted. He would probably have to learn how to say no better before she learned how to ask for ice cream and junk food, because he’d probably cave on that too with one little puppy eyed look.

For another hour, Bucky sat watching TV in the living room, letting Sarah simply sleep on him, but he was feeling like he was going to need to get himself some sleep, so he tried again, to lay Sarah down to sleep in her crib. He wasn’t sure just how she knew. He had placed her so gently, yet she knew he was trying to put her down. “But, Baby, Uncle Bucky wants to go to bed now. It’s late, it’s everyone’s bedtime now. Please sleep.”

He gave her tummy a little rub, she calmed, but she also gripped his fingers with all her might when he tried to pull away. “Let me at least use the bathroom, okay, Sweetie.” Bucky hoped maybe if he appeared to be really leaving the room and letting her be for a few minutes, but she could hear him using the bathroom and such, she’d mellow and sleep. And he did need to use the bathroom, and it was easier if he wasn’t holding her. It was only a few minutes, and she was crying and fussing. She’d done so the whole time he’d been out of her room. When he appeared again over her crib and reached his hand to rub her tummy, she calmed right down and clung onto his hand.

“Do your parents let you sleep with them?” Bucky thought he’d heard Steve talk a number of times about bringing Sarah into their bed in the middle of the night when she woke up and didn’t want to be put back in her crib. He wondered if it would be okay to take her to the guest room and let her sleep there with him. But he also didn’t know if he was supposed to do anything special, like did he need to have some kind of pillow wall for the other side, so she didn’t roll off the bed? Maybe when she was brought into bed with her parents, Steve and Darcy each slept to one side so that wasn’t an issue. Bucky usually could sleep anywhere, and he didn’t have a lot of nightmare issues anymore, but he was still nervous about the idea, what if he somehow squished her?

Bucky picked Sarah up again, and pulled out his phone, unsure if Steve would be awake to answer such a question, but he sent one anyway, and started looking online for any advice on safe ways to let Sarah sleep with him. He had written to Steve, “Hey, Steve? Every time I try to put Sarah down, already asleep, she wakes up and cries when I try to leave the room. What do I do? Can I let her sleep with me? How do I do that?”

Bucky had found a few tips, but still felt nervous about it, when his phone buzzed with a video call. Bucky answered to see Steve, laying back in bed, no shirt, and breathing a little heavy. Then Darcy rolled into frame, pressed to Steve’s side, and she looked sans shirt as well, though he could only see part of her upper back and shoulder. “Um, sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you guys.”

“It’s okay, Buck.” Steve was all smiles, chuckling a little, the free hand brushing fingers over Darcy’s back as she smiled and waved at the phone. “Sometimes Sarah doesn’t feel like being alone. We sometimes have to bring her into our bed. Our bed might be firmer than the guest room bed, so you can sleep in there with her. And lay her down on her back and kind of spoon curl around her.”

“The sheets are clean, I promise.” Darcy added with a smirk. “Basically she sleeps just like she would if you put her in her crib, and you just kind of curl around her.”

Bucky laughed softly, he’d sat down in the living room again, Sarah nearly asleep again, on his shoulder. “Okay. I guess I’m just nervous.”

“Buck, you barely move when you sleep. The times you fall asleep at our place, you’re always in the same position when I wake up as when I went to bed.” Steve didn’t need that much sleep, so he was often up early, even when up late, He’d seen his friend nod off on their couch, and just let him stay there when he did, and found Bucky exactly as he’d left him when he woke for his run.

“Okay, sorry again for disrupting.” Bucky was poised to let them go, and sort it out.

“It’s okay, Bucky. I anyway, could use a rest.” Darcy smiled and poked Steve, who chuckled. “You’ll be fine. Look how happy she is sleeping on you right now.”

Sarah sleeping, with her head on his shoulder was clearly seen. Bucky smiled and shifted to kiss Sarah’s head. “I’m going to have to learn how to say no to her before she gets old enough to ask for candy though, cause that might be a problem.”

“You and me, both, pal.” Steve chuckled and blushed, knowing full well his daughter had him completely wrapped around her finger, just like her mother did.

Darcy giggled softly, too. “Would you feel better if we stay on the line with you until you get settled with her?

Bucky paused, he didn’t want to bother them, but maybe he would feel easier about it if they could make sure he was laying the right way and all that. "Would you? You can tell me if I need to do anything different?”

“Of course.” Darcy smiled as she pat Steve’s chest when he gave her a squeeze with his arm.

Bucky smiled at the image as he stood up and headed toward their bedroom. He had to set the phone down to pull back the covers and get situated. He moved some pillows out of the way to make sure the center of the bed was free of anything that could be a problem for Sarah while she slept. Keeping one pillow on the side he planned to sleep on, and only pulling the sheet and a light blanket up, mostly for himself. Sarah had cozy baby pajamas on, so she’d stay warm. And he supposed, she’d have some body heat from him to keep her nice and warm. He laid Sarah down carefully, and felt her wiggle a little when it perhaps felt, to her, like he was leaving her. But he slid down next to her, stretching his metal arm out over her head, which would also keep the pillow he was putting his head on away from her. Her hand moved and grasped his shirt near his stomach.

Bucky chuckled softly as he reached and brought the phone over. He cleared his throat, as Steve and Darcy had seemed to busy themselves making out. They both chuckled and looked back at Steve’s phone. “Sorry, again. I promise you guys can get back to it soon. Is this okay?” Bucky lifted the phone to give them and overhead view of him laying with Sarah.

“Aw! That’s so cute!” Darcy squeezed Steve’s body as she looked at the phone. Steve just chuckled more.

“Is this the best way? Is this how you guys do it when she’s sleeping with you?” Bucky glanced down at Sarah, then looked back at the phone. He wanted to make sure Sarah was safe there with him.

“It is. You’re doing great, Buck. I’m really glad you’re there with her. Knowing you’re looking out for her has let Darcy and I relax and really enjoy this little vacation.” Steve was smiling without a hint of any reservation. And Darcy smiled and nodded her head at everything he said.

Bucky let out a long sigh, and Sarah’s hand reached up to grab at his chin. He chuckled, Steve and Darcy chuckled, and then Sarah giggled softly. She was awake again, and seemed to hear her parents laugh and smiled at the phone. There was a minute of Sarah babbling, and her parents cooing at her while Bucky just stared and smiled, before everyone said goodnight. Bucky reached to set the phone on the bedside table, and adjusted the covers so they at least covered part of him, but wouldn’t get in Sarah’s way.

When he looked down at Sarah, she looked sleepy again, already. “Okay, Sarah Bear, it’s bed time. I hope you’re nice and cozy.” Bucky had tried for about two seconds to rest his real arm along his side, but his his hand settled on her body and she curled her little hands around his fingers, and he sighed long and deep. Maybe he’d sleep a little better with her too. He felt less worried, and more soothed by her steady breathing and the warmth of her body on his hand. They both quickly drifted off to sleep.


End file.
